Big Ten Writers - MSU, 2nd in Big Ten East

Big Ten Writers - MSU, 2nd in Big Ten East

Big Ten Writers - MSU, 2nd in Big Ten East

Big Ten Media Days will commence on Monday in Chicago. The members of the media have made their thoughts known regarding the way the teams will finish in the conference. Let’s see if they got it right….

It’s perfectly fair to speculate that the Ohio State Buckeyes will win the gauntlet that is the Big Ten East.

And it’s perfectly fair to speculate that the Wisconsin Badgers will win the Big Ten West’s plate of scrambled eggs.

But in reviewing the way the Big Ten media have laid out their thoughts on how the rest of the Big Ten teams will perform in the season ahead, can we see sanity among the scribes or have they illustrated that they cast their votes from Butch McGuire’s on Division Street while getting a Chicago weekend in ahead of the actual confab?

Sanity appears to rule the day – although it’d be beneficial to know who the scribes were that speculated that UMAA is worthy of 1.5 first place votes.

The 2018 Michigan State Spartans come in at a very solid and well-deserved second place spot in the prognostication.

This is acceptable.

It won’t end up coming to pass since the Spartans will win the Big Ten East, the Big Ten Championship, and appear as an undefeated team in the College Football Playoff where they’ll be the #2 “seed.”

Much more on how the Spartans will earn that spot in the coming weeks – but, for right now, let’s take a quick look at some of the interesting takeaways from the predictions of Big Ten media.

Ohio State as the winner of the Big Ten East:

Yes, we get it, of course.

No ink stained member of the Enemy of the American People wants to stick his or her neck out and envision the Buckeyes losing to Iowa 55-24 again.

And while 76% of the reporters that voted can’t name all starters for the Buckeyes, they all know that Urban Meyer doesn’t ever want to be photographed eating cold pizza by himself on a golf cart in the drab bowels of a stadium ever again.

Ohio State is a fair and reasonable choice for the top spot in the East.

It’s the wrong choice – but it’s fair and reasonable.

Wisconsin as the the winner of the Big Ten West:

If any reporter were to have voted for anyone other than Wisconsin, that reporter would need to be questioned about having ties to Russia.

Northwestern and Iowa will have nice seasons and Pat Fitzgerald will have at least one opportunity to say that his young men will celebrate a meaningful victory with “good, clean American fun” – but neither team has enough to overtake Wisconsin.

Thirteen reporters have Wisconsin winning the Big Ten Championship.

This is intriguing and suggests that thirteen Big Ten reporters are really letting their hair down.

The truth is that Wisconsin is loaded, as usual, and may have the goods to finally bust through and make it to the College Football Playoff.

However, in order for Wisconsin to be able to make it all the way to college football’s newly recognized Promised Land, they’ll need to somehow navigate their way through their standard non-conference slate of powerhouses.

This year, the Badgers have to face Western Kentucky, New Mexico, and Brigham Young – all within the friendly confines of Camp Trample Stadium.

It says here that the Badgers will rock through those first three games this way:

Badgers 11, Western Kentucky 9

Badgers 9, New Mexico 7 (New Mexico misses a 37 yard field goal as time expires)

Badgers 15, Brigham Young 14

From there, Wisconsin will use its offensive firepower to plow through the Big Ten West minefield and make it to Indianapolis unblemished.

Joey Bosa voted Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year –

While we’re okay with this pick since it’s the choice made by people who think that Nick Bosa is actually Joey Bosa, the real story here is that people somehow thought there are five players more deserving of the top spot than Joe Bachie.

When Joe Bachie is named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year, all of the reporters who voted for Northwestern’s Paddy Fisher will claim they knew Bachie would be the guy all along.

Trace McSorley voted Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year –

Understandable.

Especially since most of the reporters who voted think Michigan State’s quarterback is named Byron Lawurk.

It’s also understandable due to our respect and appreciation for McSorley’s Ale House in Manhattan.

The reporter who gave UMAA quarterback Shea Patterson one point should be checked for dementia.

Michigan State landing in the Big Ten East second place spot –

Understandable and warranted since this is the most-loaded Michigan State football team ever since Jim Brandstatter could see his feet.

However, the words “understandable” and “warranted” really should be replaced with the word “wrong.”

As we’ll lay out in our season preview to come, Michigan State will win the Big Ten East and a lot more.

Dig in on the predictions here –

Writers pick Michigan State to finish second in Big Ten East, Michigan fourth

Updated 5:54 AM; Posted 5:50 AM

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio looks on in the first quarter of their Big Ten football game against Iowa at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, on Saturday, September 30, 2017. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Big Ten writers expect Ohio State to repeat as champions in the Big Ten, and expect Michigan and Michigan State to be in a close race behind the Buckeyes in the conference’s East Division.

The Buckeyes were picked to win the 2018 Big Ten title in a preseason poll conducted by Cleveland.com and released on Friday morning.

Ohio State received 191.5 points and 23.5 first-place votes in the division. The next three spots were decided by just 1.5 points: Michigan State was picked second in the division, with 142 points and two first-place votes. Penn State was third with 141.5 points and Michigan was fourth with 140.5 points.

The annual Cleveland.com poll, which included 28 writers who cover the conference, serves as the conference’s unofficial preseason poll. The Big Ten does not conduct an official preseason poll.

In the West division, all 28 writers picked Wisconsin to win the division title, then Iowa in second place and Northwestern in third.

Fourteen writers picked Ohio State to win the Big Ten title game, while 13 picked Wisconsin. Michigan State received one vote to win the Big Ten title game.

The poll also included preseason players of the year for both offense and defense. Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa was picked on the defensive side, and Michigan defensive lineman Rashan Gary finished second in the voting. Michigan State linebacker Joe Bachie finished fourth, while Michigan defensive end Chase Winovich finished seventh and linebacker Khaleke Hudson finished eighth.

Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley was picked as the conference’s offensive player of the year. Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke finished fourth in that voting, while Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson finished seventh.

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Ohio State over Wisconsin (14)
Wisconsin over Ohio State (9)
Wisconsin over Michigan (2)
Wisconsin over Penn State (1)
Wisconsin over Michigan State (1)
Michigan State over Wisconsin (1)